Photographer of the Week: Sebastião Salgado

Twice named Photographer of the Year by the International Center of Photography, Sebastião Salgado is a socially-conscious photographer from Brazil. Born in 1944 in Aimorés, he was raised on a farm with his seven sisters. He worked as an economist for the International Coffee Organization until he was 26 years old, when he decided to become a photojournalist instead.

Photograph from Genesis by Sebastião Salgado

He has traveled around the world as both a photojournalist and a documentary photographer, documenting the hardship and strife on the natural world caused by industrialization.

Mr. Salgado has published many books of photography, starting with Other Americas in 1986, which featured pictures he took of rural peasants in Latin America. Next he worked with Doctors Without Borders to document famine in Africa in two books: Sahel: Man in Distress and Sahel: The End of the Road. His next book, Workers, published in 1993, showed the workers of large-scale industrial and agricultural operations. He began work on Migrations around this time to document people migrating en masse due to industrialization. Migrations was published in 2000. In 2004 he began working on Genesis, showing the undeveloped natural world in the most remote regions of the planet. Genesis was published in 2013.

Works cited: http://www.biography.com/people/sebastião-salgado-40046

Photo Story: Cigarette butts in Corvallis

A cigarette butt rests at the edge of a storm drain on Jackson St in Corvallis. Without intervention, this butt would have washed down the drain and straight into the river.

Cigarette butts litter the ground at the "unofficial smoking area" near the Pride Center on the "non-smoking" campus of OSU.

A cat walks by a homemade ashtray installed in a campus neighborhood north of OSU. This ashtray was created in response to the increased cigarette litter caused by the prohibition of smoking on campus.

Litter and cigarette butts in a red wagon from an individual cleanup effort by Corvallis resident Cheyne Willems

These bags of cigarette butts were collected over Labor Day weekend to serve as a visual aid for the Corvallis City Council meeting to show the need for proper smoking receptacles

Richard Arterbury, founder of the Ocean Blue Project, receives bags of cigarette butts to be shipped by train to be recycled into new products - September 11, 2015

Week 10 Blog Forum: Favorite Photo(s) & Goals

Topic 1:

Favorite Photo(s)

This one is my favorite, but I didn't put it up on my blog because it didn't have enough people in it. Or it wasn't newsworthy. Or whatever.

A discarded M&M's wrapper in the dew-dappled grass on the campus of OSU - November 12, 2015

But I like it. I loved the dew on the grass, so I MACRO-ed in on the candy wrapper and composed my shot. Yes!

But seriously, my favorite picture that I actually put up on my Photojournalism blog is this one, of Hayden Smith jumping over a rail on his skateboard.

Skateboarder Hayden Smith hops off the deck, as his skateboard rolls under the rail, at the skate park in Corvallis - November 14, 2015

This photo stood out because I'm a sucker for this kind of picture. The stopped motion always gets me, and I end up looking at these pictures longer than I look at the others.

Topic 2:

My Goals

I set some goals way back in Week 1, three to be exact, and these are them:

My goals for this class include getting some of my work published, improving my ability to take news-worthy photos, and gaining the confidence necessary to take pictures of strangers making news.

First goal: Get some of my work published. Yes! Multiple times my pictures were featured in print in the Commuter.

A woman holds a burning candle at the candlelight vigil for Umpqua Community College, at LBCC - October 7, 2015

Second goal: Improve my ability to take news-worthy photos. Yes again, my skills have improved. (Unfortunately, my name-getting skills are still not-so-good.)

Foodservice workers serve food in the courtyard of LBCC - November 12, 2015

Third goal: Gain confidence necessary to take pictures of strangers making news. Yes, I have gained confidence in taking pictures of strangers, now I need to get their names.

Week 9 Blog Forum: Turning Pro

Topic 1:

Turning Pro

Leaves on a tree outside the greenhouse at LBCC in Albany - November 9, 2015

This class gave me an opportunity to create a professional platform on which I can build a portfolio to showcase my photography in a clear and focused way. That is a mouthful-of-words way of saying that I made a blog, and it looks legit, and I will continue to update it after the class is done.

I'm glad to have the experience, but journalism is not my major. My next steps are to seek employment and reduce my course-load at school; delay my "graduation" further, in a futile attempt to reduce debt...

"Where are the jobs? Where should I look?"

Jeremy Smith gets some help from his friend Cheyne Willems in bungee-ing his dodecahedron to the basket on his bicycle - November 20, 2015 (Photo credit: Sha Lindsay)

I learned about the vital necessity –as well as the accompanying difficulty– of writing complete captions. Captions could be easier for me to complete if I carried a dedicated audio-recording device to record names and information as news is happening and I'm taking pictures. Unfortunately, I don't carry a dedicated audio-recording device, but instead rely on my crummy memory and a little notebook in my back pocket. My system works pretty okay, but it often results in [unknown names] and questions over who is who.

"Is 'Steve' in this picture? Too bad I just wrote a name without any context in my notebook."

Foodservice worker Mercy Love serves hot ready-to-eat food in the courtyard at LBCC - November 12, 2015

Topic 2:

Henri Cartier-Bresson made the biggest impression on me, of the Photographers of the Week we learned about in class.

Cartier-Bresson, Henri (1908-2004) - 1960c. Self-Portrait

His candid photography is quite iconic, and the people in his pictures look natural. The pictures he took capture an un-repeatable moment in time, and his skill allowed him to capture the best shots as they occured. If my pictures can look at all like his, I'll feel like I'm a pro.

Coronación del Rey Jorge VI, Londres, 1937 Henri Cartier-Bresson

Wrecking a Car – In the Name of Football

A car sits behind CAUTION tape waiting to be smashed in the corner of the LBCC parking lot. The passenger-side is painted with colors of University of Oregon Ducks, and the driver-side is painted with colors of Oregon State University Beavers. - November 25, 2015

Opposing college football teams from Oregon will compete in a "Civil War" game on Friday. As a fundraiser, participants can wreck the car further with their choice of sledgehammer or baseball bat. The paint on driver-side of the car represents the Oregon State University Beavers, and the paint on the passenger-side is for the Ducks. - November 25, 2015

Ben [from photojournalism] pays [the man] for the privilege of hitting the "Civil War" car with a sledgehammer in the parking lot of LBCC - November 25, 2015

LBCC student Ben [last name] signs a waiver before he is allowed to strike the "Civil War" car with a sledgehammer - November 25, 2015

Ben [last name] swings a sledgehammer into the Duck-side door of the "Civil War" car in the corner of the parking lot at LBCC - November 25, 2015

Week 8 Blog Forum: Napalm Girl

Topic 1: 

Technology/Innovation

1. Based on my reading in the textbook, the most important technological change or innovation in the history of photojournalism was the advent of film speeds that were fast enough to allow pictures to be taken instantly. Earlier pictures required advance preparation and people had to hold very still while the shutter was open on the camera, or else the picture would be blurred.
2. Nick Ut stands out in the history of photojournalism because he helped to bring an end to the conflict in Vietnam when this photograph was published in American outlets such as the New York Times and Life magazine, showing a 9-year-old Napalm-burned Vietnamese girl running from her village after it was bombed. His photos showed the American public the reality of the atrocities that were occurring in Vietnam, (in their name). When the people saw just how bad things really were, they were able to end the war.

This picture Kim Phuc running away from her bombed village when she was just nine is now instantly recognisable and seen as a defining image of the Vietnam war

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154400/Napalm-Girl-photographer-Nick-Ut-releases-work-Vietnam-war.html#ixzz3s3vx63yV
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Topic 2:

Photo Story

Heartland Humane Society would make a nice subject for my Photo Story assignment. Interviewing employees and volunteers interacting with animals with compassion.

Heartland Humane Society serves Benton County Oregon

Afterschool Spider: Please Stay Tuned

A seven-legged spider sits on a web on the porch of a house in Corvallis in the afternoon of November 20, 2015

LBCC Student Sha Lindsay holds her Kleen Kanteen as she waits to cross 5th street to Corvallis City Hall with flags lowered to half-staff - November 20, 2015

Jeremy Smith shows off a pentagonal dodecahedron he made of wood while standing on the sidewalk of Madison Ave in downtown Corvallis - November 20, 2015

My Neighborhood: Diversity Cuts

Barber Nelson Brown smiles in front of the Che Guevara poster on the wall of Diversity Cuts on Van Buren Ave in Corvallis - November 17, 2015

Chas Kubo flies the shaka next to Nelson Brown at Diversity Cuts, as they stand in front of posters of Muhammad Ali, Gandhi, Jimi Hendrix, The Blues Brothers, and Neil Armstrong - November 17, 2015

Suka, the friendly part-wolf shop dog at Diversity Cuts - November 17, 2015

Hayden Smith, Skateboard Rider

Hayden Smith practices skateboard tricks at Eric Scott McKinley Skate Park in Corvallis - November 14, 2015

Hayden Smith crouches in preparation to jump onto a rail with his skateboard on Saturday at the skate park in Corvallis - November 14, 2015

Taking a break from skateboarding tricks at the skate park, Hayden Smith checks his smartphone - November 14, 2015

Hayden skillfully rides his skateboard at the edge of the bowl in the skate park on Saturday - November 14, 2015

Hayden Smith hops off his skateboard to clear the rail before landing on the deck on the other side - November 14, 2015

"The Rider Code" posted at the entrance to Eric Scott McKinley Skate Park in Corvallis - November 14, 2015

Hayden Smith executes a flatground ollie on his skateboard at Eric Scott McKinley Skate Park in Corvallis - November 14, 2015

Week 7 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

Action/Sports Photos

1. It would be cool if I could take pictures of some BMX riders doing extreme tricks on the dirt track in South Corvallis, but I have never actually seen people there. I go back with my camera and hope to get lucky. If I'm unsuccessful in taking a picture of a BMX extreme dude, I'll head over to the skate park across the river. There are always skateboard riders there. The skate park would give me an opportunity to try out different techniques for shooting action: blurred background with the subject in focus, blurred action with a clear background, and stopped motion.
2. Tomorrow I will make the trip to Southtown and hope for some BMX riders, and if they're not there, I'll take my camera to the skate park. Tomorrow: November 14, 2015
3. OVERALL—MEDIUM—CLOSEUP/DETAIL

• For my OVERALL shot I can position myself on the hill so that the entire dirt track is visible in the frame—containing people, of course. If there are no people at the BMX track, I can take a picture containing all the people at the skate park in one shot. Maybe if the light is low, I could take a long-shutter shot with all the little people figures blurred showing their actions.
• For a good MEDIUM shot I could find a spot in the middle of the action, but without ever getting in anyone's way. My camera has a powerful optical zoom, so I could use that to get close to the action without interfering.
• A nice CLOSEUP/DETAIL shot could be a macro of a wheel on a skateboard with the skate park blurred in the background. Another shot could be of some artistic graffiti on the park features.

Topic 2:

Twitter Shoutout (shouting into the void)

My favorite photo of the moment, that I've taken this term, is this one taken on the LBCC Albany campus:

A car drives past a crosswalk on a bright and chilly autumn day at Linn-Benton Community College - November 9, 2015

Corvallis Pedicab Prepares for the Big Game (feat. Dan Crall)

Dan Crall, owner of Corvallis Pedicab, pumps the tires on Cab 2 in preparation for the cab shift at the Beaver football game. Driver Collin watches from beneath the canopy of Cab 1 as he rides past in South Corvallis. - November 7, 2015

At Corvallis Pedicab headquarters, Dan Crall explains how to tape the signs back onto the cabs when the rain makes them fall off; while Driver Collin eats a bagel for breakfast energy before the physically-demanding pedicab shift he will soon take. - November 7, 2015

The chain shifts to another cog of the 21 speed drive system on Corvallis Pedicab's Cab 2. This allows the driver to carry heavy loads up big hills because it gives the driver a mechanical advantage so that he may utilize his energy most effectively. - November 7, 2015

Week 6 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

Guest Speaker - Photographer Scobel Wiggins

Cameron Carpenter of Corvallis, a contestant on Wanted: Adventure Host, soars down the trail in Starker Forest. (Scobel Wiggins | Gazette-Times)

1. This picture of an Adventure Man by Scobel Wiggins caught my attention because of the stopped motion; the timing was just right. I am impressed that his expression is clear, even though he's moving quickly and he's in direct sunlight. This would be a tough shot to take spontaneously, so I'm curious as to how much preparation was necessary for this picture.
2. The bright sunlight works well for the stopped motion because the shutter speed is fast. I've attempted shots like this before, but with mediocre results.
3. Did Mr. Carpenter rehearse this shot beforehand? Did Scobel shoot in burst mode? Does she ever delete pictures from the camera, or does she look at all of the shots on the computer first?

Topic 2:

My Neighborhood

I plan to take photographs around downtown Corvallis because it is a town I love, and the town in which I live.

• A portrait subject could be a librarian at the Corvallis Public Library surrounded by books and media.
• An activity photo could be of a skateboarder riding down the sidewalk to the skate shop on Van Buren Ave.
• A landmark could be The Arts Center. (With actual artists in the picture, of course.)

The Arts Center near Central Park in Corvallis provides a central location for artists to meet and display their work - October 29, 2015

The most challenging picture would probably be the activity, because the skateboarders come by irregularly and I'd have to stop them to get their names. (Or I could get a nice blurred action shot with an anonymous skateboard rider.)

Linn-Benton Loop

Bikes are locked at the bus stop at OSU in Corvallis as the Linn-Benton Loop arrives to take LBCC students to Albany - November 6, 2015

A upside-down bicycle is locked with a U-lock at the 15th and Jefferson bus stop on the campus of OSU - November 6, 2015

Students ride the Linn-Benton Loop from OSU in Corvallis to the campus of LBCC in Albany on Friday morning - November 6, 2015

Fetching Water from Natural Grocers

LBCC Student Sha Lindsay during her weekly trip to fetch filtered water from Natural Grocers - October 29, 2015

LBCC Student Sha Lindsay during her weekly trip to fetch filtered water from Natural Grocers - October 29, 2015

LBCC Student Sha Lindsay during her weekly trip to fetch filtered water from Natural Grocers - October 29, 2015

Week 5 Blog Forum

Topic 1:

Answers to Questions

1. The photo story in the Photojournalism textbook about the Motel Dad really caught my attention because it reminded me of my own house growing up. The pictures feature kids living in anarchy, amongst piles of dirty clothes and trash, yet the kids seem happy despite their sub-optimal living situation.
2. Two challenges the photographer faced when getting the photos for this story:
   Having no idea what was going to happen, and paying from her own pocket for the processing over 350 rolls of film at the grocery store.
3. The theme of the pictures is the living situation of a dad living in a motel with a whole bunch of kids. The pictures are visually consistent because they were all taken in the same location: the same mess from different angles. The narrative is a documentary of the unscripted lives of the family living in pallid squalor.
4. An approach that I can use for my own photo project is spending time with my subject and letting them live as they normally do, while I take pictures.

Topic 2:

Two Photo Story Ideas

1. Bus riders would make a fun photo story. I would take pictures of individuals waiting for the bus, along with the things they carry. The bus runs every day but Sunday, so the photos could be shot over multiple days, on multiple routes. The downtown Corvallis bus terminal is where I will begin. Preparation for this shoot would include looking at the schedules to determine when specific buses travel, and then actually riding the bus and talking to passengers before and during the ride.
2. Behind the scenes with pedicab drivers on a shift would also make a great photo story. Dan Crall, or another driver with Corvallis Pedicab, would be followed and photographed from the preparation of the cab at HQ, to the riding around and picking up of passengers, and then reflecting and unwinding at the end. This could be done during any shift, but it might be most fun during an event, like an OSU football game. I will need to coordinate with Mr. Crall to inform him of my plans, and to discuss the most ideal shift to document in pictures.

Cheshire Cat at Natural Grocers

Sha Sha Willems fills jugs with filtered water during her weekly visit to Natural Grocers - October 29, 2015

Sha Sha Willems, dressed as the Cheshire Cat, ensures that the jug is centered under the dispensing spout at the 25 cent-per-gallon filling station - October 29, 2015

Aimee Friedmann rings up six gallons of filtered water for Sha Sha Willems, as Kelly Baldridge admires her Cheshire Cat costume - October 29, 2015